According to the Hartford Courant (12-4-2007) Matt Dalio, one of America's richest guys (worth $4 billion by Forbes) is on a mission, nay, a crusade to change the way Americans celebrate Christmas.  Ray Dalio would like Americans to follow the suggestions of nonprofit organizations like the Heifer Project http://www.heifer.org/ or Changing The Present http://www.changingthepresent.org/and not view Christmas as a homage to consumerism but as an opportunity to support good works, effectively, nonprofits, provides more satisfaction and better results that in the end, create a society where all actually benefit. 

Mr. Dalio has jump-started his crusade by taking ads out in 6 major national newspapers asking folks to stop, think and act differently -- spend the money they would on consumer items and give it to nonprofits.  Mr. Dalio, consistent with most social marketers (social marketing is focused on changing behaviors like, wearing seat-belts, not smoking, practicing safe sex) understands that he has a long road to travel to achieve his vision.

Thoughts on the whole thing:

-christmas has indeed become a rather exhaustive opportunity to purchase "stuff" for the people you love and some you don't care that much for but it's politically smart to give.  It's tiring but it's sort of one of those 2-3 occasions in the year when people think about someone other than themselves -- true, they may have a relationship but a lot of people get included that might not any other time of the year.

-the christmas season has become a vehicle for earning lots of revenues for big and small businesses -- for some businesses, christmas is 40-60% of their business and certainly there are a lot of jobs (not necessarily great) that are created during this the christmas holiday

There are many reasons folks give to nonprofits.  Understanding these reasons is the basis for successfully motivating folks to give.  Campaigns like Mr. Dalia's -- who knows?